Goa announces three-day lockdown from Friday, night curfew till 10 August

Panaji: A three-day lockdown with stricter provisions will be enforced in Goa from Friday in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday. Besides, there will also be a “Janata Curfew” in the state from 8 pm to 6 am every day with effect from Wednesday till 10 August, he told reporters. Only people associated with essential services and those having medical emergencies will be allowed to move out during the curfew and lockdown, he said. Sawant said COVID-19 cases are rising in the state, and noted that people are not wearing masks and not following the social distancing guidelines. He said more than 40,000 people in the state have so far been fined for not wearing mask. “Somewhere, we need to be more strict. There should be awareness and discipline among people, he said.” The chief minister said COVID-19 cases in the state are expected to peak in the next few days due to continuous rains. “We are expecting a spike between 15 July and 20 July, he said. Sawant also said that COVID care facilities will be set up in all talukas of the coastal state. On Tuesday, Goa reported 170 new COVID-19 cases, its highest single-day spike, taking the tally to 2,753. The state has so far reported 18 deaths due to the disease.